Summary
While manyStar Warsfans may be hankering for a fresh take from one prolific horror director, Guillermo del Toro suggested he is no longer the man for the job.
Monsters have always been a big part of the director’s brand in some ofdel Toro’s best movies. Gaining attention for the heartbreaking fantasy filmPan’s Labyrinth, del Toro has consistently found beauty in the macabre. His Oscar win for Best Director was earned for his twist onCreature From the Black Lagoon,The Shape of Water. A love story at heart, del Toro appeals to the masses because his films do not judge monsters but love them like in the paranormal romance.
There was a time when this seemed like a likely fit for theStar Warsuniverse, and he nearly directed a Jabba the Hutt movie that ultimately never moved forward. However, del Toro has concluded that his time withStar Warsmay have passed. “I feel strangely more and more inclined to do more strange stuff; do things that are a little more cagey, a little more quirky,” del Toro said during a 2015 interview with theHappy Sad Confused Podcast.
Del Toro is no stranger to big Hollywood franchises. He helmed the originalHellboyadaptations, andPacific Rimis one of his most beloved works before hestepped away fromPacific Rim 2. To keep theStar Warsfranchise fresh, a Jabba the Hutt film by the director would have been miraculous. And while del Toro mentioned the possibility of doing one, times have changed. TheStar Warsmarriage with Disney has made the full jump to corporate content. Because Disney Plus is the home for every conceivable concept in the universe, there seems no place for del Toro any longer. In addition to big saga films and standalone projects, it feels like a newStar Warsminiseries is released every month. For an independent director who functions the best off the beaten path, the space has admittedly become too mainstream.
Dave Filoni has become the master of all thingsStar Wars, and he stays true to George Lucas' original vision. Even after inventing his own characters, such as Ahsoka and Sabine Wren, their stories continue along the Jedi Order path. If del Toro had been given free rein for hisJabba the Hutt movie, viewers would have likely seen a take on the mob boss no one has seen before. Who knows if the main consensus ofStar Warsfans would be ready for that – or ever will be. Leave del Toro to the shadowy spaces where horror lovers and the disenfranchised can enjoy him.Star Warswill always be there for those who want familiar stories.
